I intended posting a recipe for ‘easy fruit loaf’ today-unfortunately it did not turn out as planned. As many of you may have experienced similar results (hopefully not when trying some of my recipes)-cakes sometimes flop—the key to keeping your cool-is to first use your imagination before you head for the bin-or as Amma used to say…'recycle'! This post features a few ideas on how to use flopped cakes to create new and inspired desserts or perhaps you already know them from your own experience with flopped cakes.

The fruit loaf I made appeared to be cooked-I even inserted a toothpick—which came out clean so I assumed it was cooked—the face of failure soon reared its ugly head as I sliced the loaf! To my horror—gooey uncooked cake batter seeped thorough. I initially thought of trashing the flopped cake but the cherries and raisins looked far too pretty to trash so I decided to recycle! I split the cake open down the center then placed it back in the oven for another 10 minutes.It was not a pretty sight (as pictured below).

Some Ideas for Breathing New Life into Flopped Cakes

When you encounter a flopped cake-don’t despair-if it’s not cooked then simply place it back in the oven until it cooks. If you are worried about a burnt crust -don’t worry about that either it can be cut off. Most flopped cakes are salvageable whether they crack or sink they can be cut up and used to make trifles ,lamingtons, rum balls, petite fours or the popular cake pops.

Cognac, Custard and All Things Nice...

With my flopped Fruit Loaf I simply broke the cake into smaller pieces. Placed in a fluted glass - poured over a shot of cognac then topped with custard. Similarly you can add other alcohol such as brandy or sherry or if you prefer a non alcoholic solution then top with custard, cream or ice cream. This method works well for most types of cake. Plain sponge cakes are better suited for trifles.

Rum Balls

Another popular method of ‘disposing of cake is Rum Balls. Add rum to the cooked cake then mix until a soft dough like texture is formed. Roll into balls then coat with chocolate sprinkles.

Cake Pops

The current trend since Rum Balls is Cake Pops—so popular you don’t have to make a spoilt cake to make cake pops-made from crumbled cake mixed with icing sugar then shaped into balls - dipped in chocolate-decorated into myriad of different characters and themes. Unlike Rum Balls cake balls rest on a lollipop stick hence the name cake pops—a big hit with kids!

What to Do With Flopped Chocolate Cakes

Apart form the ideas listed above...one of my favorite uses for chocolate cake (especially the crumy kind) is to make what I like to call mud pies. Simply break the cake into fine crumbs then combine with vanilla ice cream for a simple delicious dessert. Once combined...refreeze the ice cream mixture until needed - this tastes like cookie dough flavored ice cream. You don't have to use a flopped cake to make mud pies...one of my favorite recipes is using my own warm chocolate tart recipe- a tart made form dark chocolate and ground almonds resulting in a deliciously chewy texture.

With ideas like these- no one will know it was a flopped cake unless you tell them!

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